A mathematical model of sentimental dynamics accounting for marital dissolution.

A mathematical model of sentimental dynamics accounting for marital dissolution.

Blog Article

BACKGROUND: Marital dissolution is ubiquitous in western societies.It poses major scientific and sociological problems both in theoretical and therapeutic terms.Scholars and therapists agree on the existence of a sort of second law of thermodynamics for sentimental relationships.Effort is required to sustain them.Love is not enough.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: here Building on a simple version of the second law we use optimal control theory as a novel approach to model sentimental dynamics.Our analysis is consistent with sociological data.We show that, when both partners have similar emotional attributes, there is an optimal effort policy yielding a durable happy union.This policy is prey to structural destabilization resulting from a combination of two factors: there is an effort gap because the optimal policy always entails discomfort and there is a sensationnel kiyari tendency to lower effort to non-sustaining levels due to the instability of the dynamics.CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These mathematical facts implied by the model unveil an underlying mechanism that may explain couple disruption in real scenarios.

Within this framework the apparent paradox that a union consistently planned to last forever will probably break up is explained as a mechanistic consequence of the second law.